Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee

The Innovation, Universities and Skills select committee this week changes its name to include the term “science”. It will now be known as the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills (IUSS) select Committee.

The change follows a decision by the House after the Government tabled a motion to include the term “science” in the title of the committee.

It comes after the Science and Technology Committee’s Last Report, which recommended the term “science” be retained in the title of any subsequent committee.

That Committee was dissolved as a result of machinery of Government changes and replaced by the new Innovation, Universities and Skills select committee.

Commenting on the decision the Chairman of the former Science and Technology Committee and Chairman of the IUSS Committee Phil Willis said: “Given that science across Government appears to be burgeoning, it was essential for the select committee system to make provision for the cross-departmental scrutiny of science.

“We were concerned that given its broader remit, the new IUS Committee may have sent out the wrong message to the science community that this was no longer part of our remit.

“Having science in the title will signify that the Committee recognises the vital role science plays and its intention to continue the depth of cross departmental scrutiny that went on in the past.”